


The Fool's Journey

by NoahEarlGraves



Series: The Fool's Journey [1]
Category: Durarara!!
Genre: (seriously, Action/Adventure, Developing Relationship, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fantasy, Fem!Izaya, Female!Izaya, Humor, Shizaya - Freeform, Urban Fantasy, Yes I changed the rating to be safe, anymore tags and this story’s gonna be spoiled), slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-15
Updated: 2017-07-10
Packaged: 2018-10-19 06:00:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10633728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoahEarlGraves/pseuds/NoahEarlGraves
Summary: It appears that the two most powerful men have made one too many collateral damage that would change their lives forever. One stupid mistake and there you have it, Izaya ends up travelling around the globe with the one man he claimed to hate enough to want dead. Shizuo wasn’t any more happy than he is. First stop? Celty’s homeland.... or so they hoped.Basically Shizuo and Izaya with chains around their necks which binds them together. Literally.





	1. The Genie

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [1001 Nights (series)](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/283866) by Runandra. 



> Inspired by Runandra’s 1001 Nights series from the Hunter x Hunter fandom (I tried to contact her a few times but it seems that my messages just aren’t going through TTATT).
> 
> Disclaimer: I neither own the 1001 Nights series nor Durarara!!.
> 
> (This takes place half a year after Izaya and Shizuo’s “last fight” and Izaya had just recently returned to Shinjuku)
> 
> As usual. Ao3 is messing up my format ;___;

It’s a good thing that he loves his job so much. Otherwise, he would have long deserted the place in favour of the comfort of his apartment’s clean shower. But Orihara Izaya knew better than to ignore or turn down any “requests” from Shiki of Awakusu-kai for not only does he value his job, but his life as well. Sure he could try and get away from the yakuzas by disappearing -with his vast intellect on how the yakuza’s intel worked, he could pull that off easily enough. However, evading one sorta lousy job isn’t nearly worth losing his livelihood in the lovely bustling city that is Tokyo.   
  
So here he was. 2AM in the morning, in an old gallery’s back room with broken lights trying to tear his way through layers upon layers of junk and cobwebs in search of a certain document on a certain individual called 'Koga Hakuseki'. The only consolation Izaya got out of this was that he himself didn’t know enough about the man to know why the Awakusu-Kai would have any interest in gathering any information on such a dull person. All Izaya knew about this Koga Hakuseki is that he owned a “gallery” much like the Awakusu-kai’s, only that this his is a legitimate gallery with no history of evading any legalities… again, as far Izaya knew.   
  
Just when Izaya was starting to manage to bribe himself with the prospect of discovering something new about one of his beloved humans in order to make jumping into the stuffy place feel at least a bit more worth it (there are many humans to choose from, his accursed subconscious realized, why chose this one with secrets probably as bland and cliche others - only that it's buried under some even more cliche layers of dust), a voice he’s all too familiar with unwelcomingly assaulted his ears.   
  
“Iiiii-zaaaa-yaaaa-kuuunn!!”   
  
Izaya’s eyebrow twitched. Really? Of all places? And how the hell did the beast manage to enter the gallery quietly? Izaya mentally cursed. The beast couldn’t be quiet even if he wanted to.  Izaya ‘tsk’-ed. Unpredictable monster. He’s not exactly in the mood. “Just my luck...”.   
  
“Ah Shizu-chan! Long time no see, ne~? I see you’re as monstrous as ever!” Izaya willed his shit-eating grin to stay on his face.   
  
Shizuo could have sworn he busted an artery. “I see you’re in my Ikebukuro again even after I told you to FUCKING STAY THE HELL OUT OF IKEBUKURO!”   
  
In short, they fought, and Shizuo, being the dumb brute he is -Izaya had briefly thought before the goddamn ceiling collapsed on them, had swung and an entire file holding locker which broke upon impact when it missed Izaya by a hair’s breadth and struck the only sturdy weight holding pillar within that rather large part of the building. The pillar cracked briefly before it began to crumble.   
  
Little did they know, along with it, an old golden, gem adorned lamp fell to the ground and was smashed under a falling piece of rubble.   
  
Cursing under his breath, Izaya took a gamble and flung himself to a somersault over Shizuo’s head, using the beast’s shoulder as a support, and flung himself to the nearest wall which is behind Shizuo. Shizuo’s reflexes were fast but Izaya’s were faster. Plus, he could not cast the flea while he was practically airborne over his head. Realizing saving himself from some major injury by being buried alive in debris had a slight more importance at the moment, he flung himself to the nearest wall as well, beside the flea.   
  
The room shook and the roof fell into the room. Thankfully mostly fell into the middle of the room and the sides near the wall didn’t fall victim to direct impact but the whole area started to fill in with debris.   
  
“Damn it…” Izaya realized he was stuck. ‘This is bad…” looking over to his side, he saw the protozoan squirming his way out of the piled debris. The monster. There’s just too much junk in front of him for him to make his way through even if he managed to shove some away. Izaya’s eyes widened when the protozoan was squirming to turn around. Izaya gasped. “Don’t. You. Dare.”   
  
Amidst the transition from fighting to taking cover the brute probably reflexively took the spot beside him near the wall and didn’t think of punching the damn wall to get out when he tried to dodge the falling roof.   
  
Now if Shizuo punches the wall to get out, Izaya will be buried alive as more debris would fall and spill directly on him. Izaya does not have that monstrous strength to prevent the construction remains from crushing him. He would die. Izaya wasn’t ready to die. Not like this. At least if the beast was going to kill him, let there be an audience to see what a monster Heiwajima Shizuo really is!   
  
Seeing the rare fear lacing in Izaya’s eyes, Shizuo could feel a smirk tugging at his lips as he was finally able to free his left arm from its confines. “What’s the matter, Izaya-kuuunnn??” even he knew what would happen if he punched the wall now. “I’m going to finally end you, FLEAAA!”   
  
Izaya finally panicked. His arm outstretched as if it could stop the blonde.   
  
“Don’t!”   
  
Just when Shizuo was about to punch the wall, his fist stopped and froze midway. Shizuo’s eyes widened. He couldn’t move at all. “What the-”   
  
A mystic giggle sounded through the air. _“Now, now, that wasn’t very nice~!”_ the girly giggles echoed in the now roofless room again.   
  
Shizuo snarled, too pissed to note the oddity of the quality of the giggling voice. “Show yourself!”   
  
_“Hm-mm, is that how you talk to a lady, human?”_ The creature ‘tsk’-ed. _“Men these days. I knew that you humans somehow evolved culture into bastardly degrading towards women but I didn’t know it has gotten this bad, and it’s only been a few centuries too!”_ the voice sighed before continuing. _“I don’t want to. I don’t want to show myself until you apologize!”_ Izaya could hear the creature mock sulk.   
  
“Like hell I’m gonna apologize! Let go of me first and show yourself, coward!”   
  
Izaya wanted to facepalm but his arms were stuck with debris almost reaching to to his neck.   
  
There was a pause. Then, _“No, no, no, you must apologize first.”_  
  
“Ugh, fine! I’m sorry for being rude. Now would you please let me go?”   
  
Neither could see the creature but both could positively hear the smirk in that voice. _“Only if you promise you won’t hit him.”_  
  
“What the-”   
  
“Shizu-chan.” Izaya’s voice, for the first time in front of Shizuo, hadn’t been teasing. Izaya gave him a spiteful glare. “Best do as she says for now. We don’t know wha- who she is.” Izaya corrected himself, not thinking it’s wise to be rude to an unknown animate being.   
  
_“What a clever, clever boy! You should listen to the boy, boy.”_  
  
“Tch.” Shizuo hated that Izaya had a point but at the moment could not think of anything more logical than what the flea just said. “Fine. I won’t.”   
  
_“Oh, goody~!”_ There was that overtly cheery voice again. Honestly it was starting to grate Shizuo’s ears but he gritted his teeth and said nothing. However, the crease on Shizuo’s forehead disappeared when the rubbles were suddenly picked up from the ground -more like floating actually. The debris composing of concrete and other heavy construction properties looked light as feathers as they float about before retracing the room, the building, into how it was before before Shizuo decided to throw the goddamn metal file drawer at the pillar.   
  
Shizuo’s arm suddenly loosened as if freed from some sort of solid restraint. The blonde inquisitively moved his hand about before frowning at it.   
  
Izaya was too mesmerized by the show before him. Soon, Shizuo’s eyes also returned to the spectacle before them.   
  
As soon as the last piece of the fallen ceiling fell into place, a flame suddenly burst from near the pillar. That was when both noticed that the place had gone back to how it was minus the dust and cobwebs as well as a certain golden lamp they hadn’t quite noticed amidst the flurry which was still on the ground, broken. Above it, the fire turned purple before turning fully blue. From the flame, spunned a woman with blue skin and jet black hair.   
  
Or what looks to be a woman. As soon as the flames disappeared around the figure clad in what looks to be, from Izaya’s recollection of his days studying the Indian culture, a golden sari. The woman had a bindi in between her eyebrows and a mystic yet playful smile adorning her youthful face. She flew and made a beeline for them. She stopped right in front of Shizuo, her face above him as her feet were off the ground.   
  
A genie.   
  
_“See me now?”_ She tilted her head and her whole body followed. Looking Shizuo up and down before moving onto Izaya and doing the same to him. She practically swooned. _“They call me Atasi. I haven’t seen any Japanese men for over a thousand years! What a treat!”_ Shizuo cringed when she squealed not unlike a certain fujoshi he knew.   
  
This was bad news through and through.   
  
Izaya coughed. Nope. As interested as he was to many creatures from supposedly myths and legends, after one day of meeting a Dullahan and monster with the strength exceeding a thousand men, Izaya had no interest in anymore monsters. Nope. Not today, no. Especially not if they can’t grant him immortality. Nu-uh. “Well then, if you’ll excuse me, I have a job to-”  
  
“Hey fl-!”   
  
The creature narrowed her eyes _“Not so fast, young man.”_ With a snap of her dainty fingers, Izaya felt something wring his neck as he unceremoniously fell on his his back. The raven groaned. Bless him and his reflexes for letting him execute the backdrop suicide technique flawlessly or that would have been very painful.   
  
Looking up, Izaya realized Shizuo was right above him looking scandalized. There’s less than ten centimeters between them..   
  
The genie shook her head disapprovingly with a mock frown. _“No, no, this won’t do. Fighting is bad, boys. I won’t tolerate it, no, no, I won’t.”_  
  
Both were starting to get irritated by this genie. Izaya got up after a full three seconds on the ground and dusted himself off. Shizuo, too stunned, didn’t do anything. Him being as strong as he was, did not feel the tug on his neck when Izaya stopped abruptly in his tracks once again. This time without falling.   
  
Izaya’s eyes widened. “What-” he tugged and tugged again but he couldn’t move any further. No, no further than 1 meter from Shizuo.   
  
“The fuck’s wrong with you, louse?”   
  
Izaya couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Of course the monster wasn’t able to feel the manacle stuck to their necks.   
  
_“Tug all you want. The chains could never be broken by mortal hands.”_ The genie giggled whilst spinning vertically in the air giddily as if she was an overgrown toddler and not a creature of ancient myths. She stopped. _“I’ll spare you your precious breath, so before you inquire if I would so kindly let you off my chain, I will do no such thing.”_   
  
_“So let me lay out the terms for the both of you: first, if one of you dies, the other will soon follow. Second, that chain reflects how close you two are to one another. The closer you are, the more flexible the chain will be but since I can see that you both hate each other will all your heart and minds, well, touche, that’s as flexible as the chain gets! If you hate each other even more, it will be even shorter!”_   
  
Both Izaya and Shizuo were looked at each other, then the space between them, then each other again. Both looked almost scandalized that they liked each other enough that they didn’t stick together. Neither knew whether to be thankful or disgusted at themselves or which prospect disgusted them more --the fact that their body aren’t stuck together, or the fact that they may actually touch if they hate each other just a little more.   
  
With that, flames engulfed her figure as she spunned before disappearing into thin air along with the last flicker of blue flames.   
  
_“Play nice, now~!”_ the creature said with her one last irritating giggle echoing to nothing.   
  
“Wait! How the hell am I supposed to-”   
  
“She’s gone, you pathetic beast. Even if she weren’t, did you really think she would tell us anything useful? You’re worse than an under-evolved amoeba.”   
  
Shizuo snapped to glared at him. Teeth seething and eyes bloodshot as if he’s just barely holding onto his last shred of humanity, resisting from ripping him to pieces. Hah. Izaya scoffed. As if an amoeba could impersonate a human. Izaya knew he shouldn’t be running his mouth given their current predicament but he just couldn’t help it. He’s just as irritated as the beast was and, really, and nothing like a good ol’ brawl would be better in bringing in some normality into this ridiculous situation.   
  
It was only by the grace of God that Shizuo actually managed to contain his anger, fists clenched and with a deep breath his shoulders slackened as he stopped seething. “So… what now?”   
  
Izaya only shrugged. Now that they can’t kill each other, there really isn’t much that comes to mind because there’s no way any one of them would be able to live with the other.   
  
“Beats me.”   
____   
  
After a very, one can say, lengthy discussion, and only after a few ‘what-the-fucks”s, “what-the-actual-fuck’s, and ‘like-hell-I’m-gonna-let-you-go-around-ruining-people’s-lives-you-sick-flea!’s and ‘Not-under-my-watch!’es did the two finally got their shit together enough to actually do the most logical thing to do (not that Izaya would ever acknowledge the beast being able to do anything that requires any semblance of human intelligence). Number one, reality check. Which was not that hard. Neither had been in denial to what had transpired given that they both have encountered less than normal situations (befriending a Dullahan and knowing Saika users can’t exactly be considered ‘normal’ by any standard definition, really). Number two, consult their best friends -or more like Shizuo literally dragging Izaya along to where his best friend is where Izaya’s so called best friend also happens to live as well.   
  
“SHINRA!”   
  
The tea spilt as the doctor stood dumbfounded at the sight of his door being knocked down. Though he was sure that was Orihara’s voice… that’s Shizuo’s leg kicking his door down right?   
  
“You @%!*#%@$ &#*..!!”   
  
A creative blend of Japanese, Russian, Chinese and English (Shinra had been lost halfway and could not identify the rest of the languages thrown into the mix) curses that would make the crudest sailors blush to their ears were spouted along with-   
  
“How the hell am I supposed to move when you’re in the way, damn flea?!”   
  
“You incorrigible protozoan better have a good explaina- HEY THAT’S MY PHONE YOU JUST THREW!”   
  
There goes his window.   
  
“The fuck?! How many of those things do you have!?”   
  
“Just about enough to ruin some twenty dozen people’s lives and take down a couple governments no thanks to you!”   
  
For the sake of his sanity (and apartment) Shinra decided to-   
  
  
_BAM!_  
  
  
“ACKH!”   
  
  
“Shit!”   
  
  
“Shinra!”   
  
  
After a painkiller and a couple more ice packs, Shinra, with the help of his darling Celty, bless her, managed to sit upright enough on the couch. Celty chided them responsibly making Shizuo’s face contort in guilt whilst Izaya pouted not unlike an errant child getting scolded for misbehaving.   
  
  
“Uh-huh… care to run that by me again?”   
  
  
Izaya sighed but calmed down enough to speak. Orihara Izaya is always in control after all (he couldn’t help the little bit of yelling when the beastly blonde kept trying to talk over his voice the moment before). This time Shizuo refrained from speaking at all, not trusting himself not to yell again (Celty already giving him _that_ look - they are best friends afterall, Shizuo’s bound to know just what ‘look’ Celty outright throw at him and others in certain situations).   
  
5 minutes and some out-of-this-world questions later, Shinra wasted no time snapping out of his dumbfounded stupor as soon as the initial shock at seeing his two friends (Shizuo) break, literally break, into his apartment and the crazy, less than comprehensive, explanation on the predicament -more like them screaming at one another and both Shinra and Celty had to use all their ‘best-friend’ deciphering ability they have gained over the years of dealing with the crazy duo to read between the lines- subsided.  “So let me get this straight. You both got into a fight in an old gallery, broke a relic, then out comes a peace-loving albeit mischievous genie, and here you both are, bound to one another by a manacle that shows just how much you like- er, hate, one another and not able to kill the other without killing yourselves?” Shinra summed up.   
  
Both of Tokyo’s strongest nodded solemnly.   
  
“Heheh… ahaha… ahahaha… HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHA! CELTY, CELTY MY HONEY THEY’RE SERIOUS! OH MY GOD HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHHA! THIS IS PRICELESS! I LOVE THAT GENIE! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA-” Shinra laughed. In normal circumstances, the brunette doctor would have grovelled at Shizuo’s feet, begging for mercy, but there was nothing normal about the current circumstance. So he laughed and laughed “-Oof!” Till he doubled over in pain when it was Izaya who kicked him in the gut. Not too hard, but enough for his glasses to fall off his face and for him to stop laughing due to the pain.   
  
“Orihara-kun, that hurt!” Shinra whined, shameless in his display. It’s a good thing he’s more than used to supernatural events occurring here and there. A normal person would have a seizure just trying to process the whole catastrophe.   
  
Growling, Shizuo could feel his eyebrow twitch. Celty began frantically typing in panic when she could here the blonde’s knuckles crack. _[Who? Whatz thid grnie’s name? Wehre did she cmoe form? Waht did she say?]_   
  
All anger washed away, Shizuo was lost. On the other hand, Izaya could read the odd assortment of letters just fine. “Atasi. Courier-san. Atasi was her name, at least that’s what she told us it was.” Izaya pronounced the name perfectly. Much to Shizuo’s irritation. “The relic’s probably crushed to powder thanks to the beast,” he added, making the other growl with a hint of embarrassment. Both vividly recalling the partially shattered, partially dented and very broken golden lamp that was supposedly heavily adorned with jewels of all sorts which _might_ have been the damned ccreature's. 

Shinra chuckled. “I don’t usually believe in karma. It’s simply not scientific but…”   
  
Izaya glared at the doctor, wondering if the chain didn’t also make the beasts’ near uncontrollable emotions tranfer to him since he’s feeling more and more impatient by the minute as if he’s going to lose it, quick. Taking a deep breath because, no, Orihara Izaya does not lose himself, his temper, like a beast, Izaya finally leaned back on the couch beside Shizuo’s since both absolutely refused to sit beside one another in the loveseat.   
  
“But honestly, Orihara-kun. You’ve been gone for awhile now. Many told me you were probably already dead, but here you are! With… this-” He laughed. “-no less!” The quack doctor was practically crying at the hilarity of the situation. The amusement was not apparent in any of the other three, however.   
  
“Focus, Shinra.” Izaya prompted irritably, not at all feeling like his usual calm self. Why would he? He’s bound to his arch nemesis and his neck began to feel too fucking sore from the beast’s insensitive accidental and nonaccidental tugs since the damn monster was evidently unable to feel shit.   
  
“Sorry, sorry.” Shinra took a deep breath. “Alright. Now I’m calm.”   
  
“Good.” Izaya still glared at him whilst Shinra only grinned back at him.   
  
Sitting back and folding his fingers together, Shinra finally looked serious enough for Izaya’s likings. On the other hand, Shizuo could not say seeing the good doctor serious did not unnerve him a little. “Well, seeing that you both can’t physically get away from each other I guess it’s fair to say you’re both not under the influence of some sort of drug… which if course if by chance there exists a drug strong enough to make you both want to act-”   
  
“Shinra.” Izaya said lowly.   
  
Shinra covered a cough. “Nevertheless, let me do a full body examination on you both to make sure nothing is out of order.”   
  
The word ‘body examination’ set off warning bells in the blonde’s head. “Don’t you-”   
  
“I won’t try to experiment on either of you. I promise.”

At that, Izaya calmed down considerably. Though he still didn't quite trust the quack doctor. “What are you going to be looking for?” he asked, suspicion still evident in his voice.

  
“The standard. Head injury, etcetera. Really though. Even if it doesn’t look like it, if something really is wrong with your bodies due to what just happened, wouldn’t you want to find out just in case?” Shinra reasoned.   
  
Shizuo grunted. Even if he did not trust the quack doctor all that much, he does have a point. Contrary to popular belief (popularized by a certain black haired informant no doubt) Heiwajima Shizuo is a reasonable man in his own right.   
  
Izaya only nodded solemnly. Not like this day could get any worse.   
  
“Flea.”   
  
Izaya glanced over to the blonde irritably.   
  
With no shame, whatsoever, the blonde bluntly said, “I need to take a piss.”   
  
For the love of-   
  
______   
  
Unbelievable! One would think that the damn manacle would give some flexibility when nature calls one but nooo so there was Izaya. Standing awkwardly with his right hand outwards since he refused stand any closer to the beast while he does his business.   
  
“Hurry up.”   
  
“The fuck, flea. It’s only been, like, two seconds.”   
  
“Shut up. Just hurry the fuck up.”   
  
Shizuo could not say he’s not glad that the flea had lost all eloquence in his speech. Somehow the many curses that mingled with the louse’s sentences made the stupid flea that much more bearable to be around.   
  
For some odd reason or another, seeing the flea so flustered and not-so-in control pleased the blonde immensely.   
  
Izaya sighed and let the beast be. His arm and body following the beast’s movements without a struggle.   
  
Then it sank in.   
  
“The hell did you just do, flea?!”   
  
That he might be stuck to this brute for the rest of his life.   
_____   
  
After the many scuffles both managed to have time for before both stepped out of the bathroom, both paused when Celty shoved printouts to both men’s chests, effectively stopping the bicker.   
  
“The fuck is this?” Shizuo regretted his own tone immediately. He didn’t mean to be snappish to his best friend. It’s just that he’s had a long, long day and that he’s now just, wholly and thoroughly, royally pissed.   
  
Izaya, surprisingly, was even less calm as he was practically constantly bristling. Even as he read the document over. “Explain.” he demanded.   
  
Shinra poked his head past the door from inside the operating room. “Now, now, no need to be so mean to my honey. She had kindly booked you both plane tickets to Ireland. Don’t worry, Izaya can wire me the money later.” the brunette doctor called out from where he stood preparing supplies.   
  
“Ireland?” Shizuo said dumbly. The oddity of the situation making him forget just how expensive the plane tickets he probably could not afford is.   
  
Celty showed them her pre written message on her PDA. _[These are plane tickets to Ireland.]_   
  
“You don’t say.” Izaya deadpanned.   
  
Celty was wise enough to ignore the black haired man’s smartassness this time round. _[My homeland. There, you might be able to get some help.]_   
  
“Help?” Shizuo voiced both’s thoughts.   
  
_[Well, you both do not want to be tied to each other for eternity, right?]_   
  
“Obviously. Who would wanna be seen with a beast 24/7.”   
  
“You-”   
  
Celty quickly shoved the PDA in Shizuo’s face before he could attempt to maim the informant. _[I know someone who can probably help!]_  
  
Izaya’s eyes widened as his lips curved in excitement. Unable to hold himself back from being hopeful. A chance to get away from the brute!   
  
Shizuo’s eyes widened as well but a frown formed quickly after. For some reason, his gut is telling him this is not exactly good news.   
  
After a long winded explanation from Celty (Izaya blames the brute’s slow mind) and Izaya’s long and overly complicated soundings queries (to which Shizuo called him out for being a paranoid flea and to which Izaya replied that he was merely being the responsible adult unlike a certain someone - that certain someone almost hurling the coffee table across the apartment and out the window at the remark), they finally decided to get over with the examination, go home and get packing for the first flight to Dublin first thing tomorrow.   
  
“You poor excuse of an amoeba! Of course we’re going to your place first. I am not sleeping over at your equally poor excuse of an apartment!”   
  
Had he mentioned how much he hated this randomly calm Shizuo? Monsters are supposed to act like the constantly raging beasts befitting of their image. Not this calm.. Thing.   
  
As before mentioned, size was oddly calm. Opting to be the rational one between the two for once.   
  
This is not a game. The blonde did not want to be bound to the flea for the rest of his life. This is not a laughing, or raging, for that matter, matter at all. “No. Your apartment first. I refuse to sleep in a place you got with blood money.” but he can still afford to be stubborn too. Never mind that the plane ticket for tomorrow is going to be paid for with the said blood money, Shizuo wanted to avoid doing anything remotely immoral unless the situation severely warrants it.   
  
Izaya sighed, knowing that the blonde is not going to relent anytime soon for whatever reason (as if the beast would listen to reason). He didn’t feel like arguing with the dumb brute for now. Even his stupidity ceased to be amusing after a the much too crazy day.   
  
“Fine.”   
  
This is going to be a long night. 


	2. The Fool

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two of Ikebukuro's strongest men who would love to wring each other's necks any day of the week on the loose in one of the world's largest, busiest airports. What could possibly go wrong? :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ao3 kept messing up my format. Why oh why. TTATT
> 
> And, yes folks, because of that I'm going to revise this chapter again. In an hour or so so if you're reading this directly after I published chapter 2, I'm sorry.

_4:27 A.M._

 

Izaya upturned his nose in disgust. It’s far too damp here and there were way too many brown lines coming up the bathroom wall for the raven’s liking. ‘No doubt perfect for a beast,’ his mind thought up snidely, face scrunching up in distaste.

 

“You shower _here_?” Izaya asked incredulously as he turned to face the other man.

 

Shizuo dragged the raven with him into the said shower without so much as a frown or blush. “Give me a break. Maybe if you hadn’t tried to ruin my chances of getting a better paying job with less working hours you wouldn’t have to shower here,” Shizuo said as-a-matter-of-fact-ly, already undressing and getting in the shower which made Izaya snap his head away from the shameless display, cheeks tinted slightly pink.

 

Well, at least the clothes went over Shizuo’s head just fine without the manacle preventing it to. Otherwise it would have been far too troublesome having to wear something that does not have to go over their necks every time. Oh, did he mention that the brute can neither feel nor see the manacle? Yes, and that made it hell for Izaya because the brutish blonde would randomly tug at the manacle by accident which inadvertently almost killed the raven (ultimately them both) several times.  

 

“This pigsty.. don’t you ever clean this place up, you filthy animal?” Izaya rubbed at his neck uncomfortably, unable to feel the bond under his fingertips but the pressure on his fragile neck making him very much aware that the damn thing is very, very real.

 

Shizuo rolled his eyes. “Stop talking like this ain’t your fault, louse. _You_ were the one who made me work overtime all the time.”

 

Between the two, Shizuo was the one who was most used to unexpected, fucked up things happening in his life at the drop of a hat. Izaya begrudgingly had to admit that Shizuo was unexpectedly patient and realistic as the reality of their predicament forced itself upon then. Literally.

 

“Hurry up,” Izaya winced as he moved his sore neck. It’s only been a good three minutes and his back already hurts like hell. The manacle was borderline suffocating him with that uncomfortable too-tight choker feeling never going away despite how many times he scratched in his neck to try and ease the sensation. The chains aren’t actually tangible but it does materialize itself solid, albeit still invisible, each time they’re too far apart from each other and this, their current position and distance, was treading that line.

 

“Then just stand closer,” Shizuo said as if reading his thoughts. One would think that the bond would loosen a bit to give them privacy but nooo.

 

The idea made Izaya’s skin crawl. “Not a chance,” he said as if Shizuo suggested something utterly disgusting. Which, according to Izaya, it was.

 

Shizuo shrugged and continued on with his business as he lathered the shampoo into his bleached blonde hair. “Suit yourself.”

 

Izaya was _not_ looking forward to spending his 14 or more hours sitting beside the oaf confined some 39,000 feet in the air. Oh. Did he mention they have to deal with transit in Amsterdam before going to Dublin?

 

 

xXx

 

The airport was _crowded_.

 

Then it hit the two.

 

It was _summer_.

 

Izaya couldn’t help but grimaces as Shizuo frowned at the sight of the cocktail of people and suitcases before them.

 

Of _course_ this calamity had to befall them on a high season. Worse yet, the invisible chains seemed to have _shrunk_ and now they were both forced to stand barely ten centimetres away. Speaking of the high season, Shizuo had no idea how the hell Izaya managed to get them visas overnight. He’s guessing some sort of blackmail or some other shit Shizuo’s better off not knowing lest he’d lose his temper right after that awkward moment of Izaya demanding Shizuo stand in front of that plain wall in his bedroom (one of the few spots not dented due to his occasional loss of temper) and took a few pictures. It took quite awhile before the damn perfectionist flea was satisfied and nodded in approval right before Shizuo declared that he had just about enough of being bossed around by the shitty louse.

 

After a short while of standing in the entrance dumbfounded like a pair of sleep-deprived (which they actually are) lost idiots, Shizuo sighed before dragging them both through the crowds. Izaya soon took the lead again, leading them to the proper check-in counter. Even Izaya who was accustomed and originally _loved_ the idea of being somewhere in close proximity to a crowd finds being _in_ the crowd on a bad day rather taxing on his patience as _his_ frown did not cease.

 

Honestly, seeing the raven from his periphery, to Shizuo by now Izaya looked much like a kid sulking after a bad day. For once, he couldn’t blame him for something.

 

At least the officer had not asked many questions when the two men stepped forward together and merely raised an eyebrow before checking their passports (by some miracle, Shizuo actually had one - bless Kasuka for convincing his brother that it was a necessity in case of emergencies). Izaya’s brow had twitched when he actually found out the blonde had one and a creepy thought passed his mind which he banished immediately. There was _no way_ his stone faced brother could have predicted any of this being one of such ‘emergencies’.

 

… then again they did manage to destroy a building, meet a genie who tied this manacle on them, and had a faerie of death from Ireland book a ticket to her hometown for them.

 

“Heiwajima Shizuo and Orihara Izaya… sirs?” the man slowly, and fearfully, looked up to the two men. It seems that the dangerous duo of Ikebukuro was quite well known even here in Narita International Airport. All thanks to that last public fight they had which was apparently aired on several channels.

 

Izaya gave the man a blank look. “Is there a problem?” usually this would amuse him but not today.

 

“N-no, sir.” the man wisely stuttered and resumed to his work and handed them their boarding passes. Izaya thanked the man with a much too cheerful smile, chilling the poor man to the bone, whilst Shizuo grunted and took his with a muttered ‘thank you’.

 

Immigration had not been as lenient. The invisible chains had forced them to stand ridiculously close to each other. Barely 30 centimetres apart.

 

“Sir, please wait for your turn,” the officer motioned Izaya away. Shizuo, already irritated as fuck, had to resist the urge to yell at the man for being a nuisance but refrained, since, despite popular belief, he wasn’t one to go around snapping innocent people’s spines. Especially not an officer just doing his job.

 

So he said the first thing which comes to his -stupid- (he ought to snap his own spine if that was possible for this) mind.

 

“Ah, that’s okay. He’s my boyfriend.”

 

The officer gave them a strange look but then said no more.

 

Izaya never wanted to stab him more. Internally screaming, the black haired man refrained from doing so and opted to hold the beasts’ wrist and dug his nails _deep_ into the blonde’s near impenetrable skin and _smiled_ as if daring him to tear his hand away and turned to the officer with the said smile. As the officer took Shizuo’s passport and had a look, Izaya dug his nails deeper, forcing the other man to face him with a deep frown.

 

‘What?’ Shizuo mouthed. Although he could not really feel much, the digging into his skin was still too terribly _annoying_ to ignore. Especially when it’s the _flea_ doing so.

 

Izaya wanted to hiss at him but refrained from doing so, instead, opting to mouth, ‘What were you thinking?!’

 

But Shizuo _wasn’t_ thinking. He had said what he did on impulse and both knew this. However Izaya wasn’t just going to let the blonde off the hook just yet.

 

The blond shrugged nonchalantly as if he didn’t just call his nemesis his boyfriend. “It works.”

 

Izaya was flabbergasted. Shizuo only walked ahead, forcing Izaya to follow.

 

By the time they have made it past immigration, they had over one and a half hours before they need to board -thanks to Izaya dragging them both out of bed this morning, eliciting groans and grumbles from the other.

 

Several people stopped and paused for a moment as the two infamous duo of Ikebukuro made their way straight to their gate.

 

“Is that.. Shizuo Heiwajima?” A woman said to her husband.

 

“And Orihara Izaya?” A teenage girl said just above a whisper.

 

“Nah, it can’t be,” the girl’s father said before pulling the girl away.

 

Some people initially shopping or simply going about with their business stopped to briefly (or not so briefly) stare. It was putting Izaya on edge.

 

Most people often parted ways when he or Shizuo walked the streets of Ikebukuro, never letting their eyes set on the two except when fights break out, of course briefly before they all run away to save their hides. But now they were just _staring_ and debating whether the two men walking side by side were really each other’s sworn arch enemies.

 

Some wiser ones chose to not take their chance of possibly annoying possibly _both_ men and simply walked past or away but most others stand in awe and wonder as they began to debate amongst themselves.

 

Izaya’s brow twitched. He didn’t like the attention. _He_ was the one who was supposed to be observing them. Not the other way around. Sure he liked that when he’s talking to a human of his choosing all their attention were solely on him but this.. this made him feel like some sort of circus freak. Something akin to the monster beside him and Izaya _hated_ it. Worse, Shizuo seemed immune and unbothered by the attention - making it that Izaya was suffering alone.

 

The anxiety was making him sloppy as Izaya struggled to rein his own emotions. Izaya fumbled with his belt and actually missed the tray. Shizuo reflexively snatched it before it could completely fall to the floor.

 

The blonde frowned his usual almost-angry frown  he dumped Izaya’s belt on the tray, the buckle hitting the phone screen.

 

“Hey!” Izaya exclaimed unhappily.

 

“Stop acting so innocent,” Shizuo said in all seriousness.

 

“Huh?” For once Izaya was actually caught off guard, not knowing what to say as the words puzzled him.

 

“It doesn’t suit you.” Shizuo looked away from him and unbuckled his own belt to put in the tray, not elaborating anymore. No one was rushing the two as they were probably early as the other flight passengers were still out where the shops are.

 

Izaya shook away his confused frown after a moment figured it might just be the protozoan mind talking and placed before placing his coat (and all the phones in all four pockets) on the tray before following the faux blonde past the body scanner. All the way trying to convince himself that he doesn’t care about what the blonde actually meant by the statement.

 

Shizuo was almost grateful for Izaya’s refusal to acknowledge his own curiosity. He himself wouldn’t know what to say if the other man prompted.

 

Once they’ve got past one more security check, both practically marched with their hand carries towards the benches.

 

Shizuo practically collapsed on one of the many metal benches, ultimately bringing Izaya with him who scrambled to get off the blonde’s chest where he fell due to the sudden movement and inched away from the other as far as possible with the invisible chain still stuck to their necks. The blonde tossed his luggage on floor as if it weighed nothing as Izaya sat down with considerably more grace whilst muttering, ‘Uncivilized neanderthal,’ as he did. Shizuo ignored him, taking deep breaths. He can handle Izaya being a prick.

 

‘It’s not the flea’s… fault that this situation is goddamn frustrating,’ Shizuo reasoned with himself, gritting his teeth.

 

The airport bustled with life, as always and expected. They shouldn’t be feeling like junior high school kids who are in the airport’s waiting room for the first time with the rest of their class but Izaya didn’t remember ever feeling quite so _tired_ despite being around his beloved humans. All which usually always lits up even one of his more dreadfully exhausting days.

 

Izaya sighed when his phone vibrated. He didn’t need to open it to know that he had probably receive the text from Namie saying that yes she sent the file over to Shiki and the curses somehow sounded eerily like a chant the way she sends them to him.

 

Just to be sure, Izaya opened one of his many phones, smiling fondly when he saw that he had been right.

 

Shizuo was too tired to pry the information out of the informant but still frowned. To him it looked like Izaya had just succeeded in ruining one more life. After all, an evil flea like him can’t smile like that if he hadn’t just screwed someone over right?

 

The smile went away as quickly as it formed, Izaya’s mind choosing that very moment to remind him just _who_ he’s sitting next to.

 

‘I’m losing it,’ Izaya thought with a frown.

 

They only sat there fore a good few minutes before Izaya got up.

 

“I need some coffee.” Izaya said tiredly.

 

Shizuo only grunted before getting up as well. Izaya led them out the gates, leaving their luggages behind. This is Japan after all, daylight theft is uncommon. ‘Heh, all too uncommon,’ Izaya thought offhandedly.

 

They reached the front if what looks to be a coffee shop. One that Shizuo often saw but never entered, remembering Tom often complaining about ‘It’s too darn expensive for just coffee’ as they past it a few times on the job. _Su-ta-ru-baku...su? Was it?_ Mentally shrugging, Shizuo followed the shorter man into the shop.

 

Inside was calm despite there being quite a number of people filling up the earth green and wood theme. There was no need to queue so Izaya quickly went to place his order. The female barista looked unnervingly pleased. He quickly placed his order and told her to place it under the name ‘Nakura’.

 

She was practically beaming when she asked the black haired man, “Anything for your boyfriend?”

 

“Anything you want, Shizu-chan?” Izaya asked. Almost mockingly.

 

Shizuo almost growled at the conniving little shit but managed to hold out and as politely as possible told the girl “No.” all the while trying vainly to ignore the louse.

 

The girl still gave them a bright smile. “Ok so that’s one tall drip coffee and a turkey sandwich. Anything else?”

 

Izaya gave her a trademark charming smile, making Shizuo’s permanent frown deepen. Izaya paid the brute no mind and handed her the payment. “No, that’ll be all. Thank you.”

 

The girl nodded and gave him his receipt along with his change before bowing and motioning them to the many tables.

 

Both could not help but pause a moment beside the seat they were supposed to take. Figuring they would have to share a bench side by side. As soon as Shizuo decided to sit down, Izaya shifted to sit away from the other as far as possible but, to his dismay, it wasn’t exactly possible.

 

Shizuo pulled out a cigar and was about to take out his lighter when Izaya swiftly snatched the cancer stick away with his slender fingers.

 

“No smoking.”

 

Shizuo snapped to the man sitting beside him. “What the hell, flea?! How am I supposed to get through the day without smoking? Because of you, I haven’t smoked since yesterday!”

 

“Like hell I care! You practically made a fool out of me.” Izaya snapped right back at him.

 

Shizuo looked nothing short of bewildered. “The fuck did you mean?”

 

“You called me your stupid fucking boyfriend!” Izaya wanted to rip his hair out at how slow this musclehead was.

 

Shizuo blinked before his face turned red with an interesting mix of anger and embarrassment although due to that he seemed to calmed down a bit, his fury not taking full control of his body… yet. “Well I didn’t mean to okay?! Who the hell would wanna be seen as your boyfriend anyway?”

 

“I beg to differ. Women _and_ men _worship_ me.” Izaya said smugly.

 

At that, Shizuo’s embarrassment was gone in an instant and was replaced by the plain old mildly angry look.“Your sugar daddies you mean.”

 

Izaya was about to open his mouth to make a point when-

 

“Nakura-san~!” the chirpy barista called.

 

Getting up whilst smoothing out his frown, Izaya dragged Shizuo along with him as he stood up and walked over to where the beverage was placed. The girl looked absolutely _smitten_. “Ahh~ so sweet! If only my boyfriend were this sweet. He’s never get up when I got up to get our coffee.”

 

Izaya looked at her, for once in his life, dumbfounded. He took the sandwich and thanked the girl with a crooked smile before making his way back to their table.

 

Shizuo raised an eyebrow, following closely behind the oddly flustered informant. First thought that came to mind was that this barista girl had an awful taste in men but then he was more intrigued by _why_ she would think so than anything -he got over freaking out about every little weird shit that happened whilst being bound to Izaya awhile ago.

 

“Wait! Your drink!” Izaya turned back to see another barista handing the loud female a drink labeled ‘Nakura’, and seemingly gently chiding the young brunette. Izaya was back in front if the counter with his ‘ever so faithful boyfriend’ beside him.

 

The woman smiled apologetically. “Sorry this isn’t very professional but you two make such a sweet couple that I just had to say something!” the girl chirped happily with unadulterated adoration in her brown eyes.

 

Both Izaya and Shizuo said nothing.

 

“Kimiko-chan!” a voice called out.

 

“Ah, coming!” The girl gave a brief look back before looking back to them with a sweet smile. “I hope you two will last forever.” she gave them a small bow before leaving the two men to their own devices. “Please enjoy!”

 

The walk back to their table and the moment after that was silent _and_ awkward to say the least.

 

Izaya said nothing as he opened his phone and Shizuo in turn opened his, no doubt to chat with his dearest brother whom he had missed a call from last night when they had a brawl in the stupid flea’s apartment when getting the said flea’s belongings.

 

“Hmnh…” Izaya hummed thoughtfully as he took another bite of his sandwich as he skimmed through the report Namie send him via email.

 

So he somehow managed to _convince_ his wonderfully _cooperative_ dearest secretary to finish the job Shiki gave him for him (which required some guidance from him and a lot of money).

 

Izaya hired a random small-time informant boy to  check the museum out and made Namie do his job for Shiki as he did some research himself in order to supply her with the much needed guidance.

 

Absentmindedly, Izaya scanned to the rest of his email before his eyes rested on a read mail which he neglected to delete.

 

The quack doctor had sent them the results of the tests at the ungodly hour which was 2:47 A.M. last night. Izaya only read the email in the morning which the brute read too from his own low quality phone.

 

To both their relief and disappointment, as both can’t seem to decide on which, all the tests Shinra had run the other day had all came out negatives. Neither of them were poisoned or struck by some unfortunate endemic.

 

Which means they’re actually, seriously, stuck together for the _time being_ (hopefully). Izaya honestly spent the night contemplating on suicide if the shackles do not disappear after a month. No way he would spend the rest of his life with the brute.

 

But then again the idea of death didn’t resonate so well with him.

 

Orihara Izaya was supposed to live a long, long life and somehow obtain immortality. Not just give up halfway and die with the pathetic excuse of getting away from one simple, however dreadful, monster.

 

It just wasn’t such a Godly thing to do.

 

Izaya gritted his teeth. Gods do not _lose_ to monsters.

 

Similarly, Shizuo couldn’t quite get his act together enough to construct a proper tale to tell his brother.

 

Well, if this is how the rest of their lives are going to be, they’ll be damned.

 

About almost an hour later, a Japanese woman’s voice echoed throughout the large airport.

 

_“Good morning passengers. This is the pre-boarding announcement for flight KLM KL 803 to Amsterdam. Please have your boarding pass and identification ready. Thank you.”_

That’s their cue.

 

Izaya cracked his sore neck before standing up along with the blonde frowning at his phone screen. Both mentally praying to whatever deity in charge up there that their untimely demise wouldn’t come with the flying vehicle falling out of the sky. Izaya prayed Shizuo wouldn’t lose his temper. Shizuo prayed the louse wouldn’t make him lose his temper. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like it? Hate it? Comment below!

**Author's Note:**

> Know about the tarot cards? The Fool's Journey
> 
> I apologize for all the spelling and grammar errors, if any. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! ^^


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